Elevator World

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by Matot Dumbwaiters & Lifts: www.matot.com STERILIZING TECHNOLOGY UNDERGOES TEST ON U.K. ESCALATOR The Airstair escalator handrail sanitizing device developed by Oxonox has been installed as a test inside an escalator at Manchester Piccadilly in the U.K., The Construction Index reported in June. The device works by extracting oxygen and nitrogen from the air to produce plasma particles, which are then applied onto the handrails. The plasma is said to kill and prevent 99.9% of hidden viruses, such as the pathogen that carries COVID-19, and dangerous bacteria. During use, the Airstair continually coats the handrails with the particles, which are applied each time the handrail goes around. The Airstair’s function means escalators do not have to be switched off during the day for cleaning, so passengers are no longer inconvenienced by shutdowns. Image credit: courtesy of Oxonox To read the full transcript of today's podcas

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by Matot Dumbwaiters & Lifts: www.matot.com TKE ACQUIRES FLORIDA-BASED ACCURATE ELEVATOR TK Elevator (TKE) announced on June 18 that it has acquired Accurate Elevator, a longtime vertical-transportation contractor that has provided services in the Florida Keys for many years. Based in Marathon, Florida, Accurate Elevator has focused on new installation, modernization, preventive maintenance and repair services for commercial and residential buildings. All employees from Accurate Elevator will stay on with TKE, including John Babbe, previously president and owner. He will now take on the role of operations manager. His wife, Donna Babbe, will serve as office manager. The acquisition is the fifth North American company purchase for TKE in 2021. In May, the global OEM announced it had acquired Albany Elevator in Albany, New York, and three elevator companies based in Ontario, Canada. To read the full transcript of today's p

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by Matot Dumbwaiters & Lifts: www.matot.com MONGRAIN ADA-COMPLIANT ELEVATORS INSTALLED AT LIRR STATION A trio of Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA)-compliant elevators manufactured by Mongrain Vertical Transport and installed by Mid-American Elevator Co. were unveiled on June 16 by the NYC Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) at the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) Floral Park Station on Long Island. Part of the LIRR Expansion Project and overall MTA accessibility efforts, the elevators together cost roughly US$10 million, which MTA observes is less than similar subway-system projects that involve moving stairs, utilities and even entire mezzanines. "This value was achieved by following the design-build project delivery system, where projects are bundled to improve efficiency and reduce costs," MTA stated. 3TC was the general contractor for the project, which provides one elevator each between the street and three pla

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by Matot Dumbwaiters & Lifts: www.matot.com KONE WINS 71-ESCALATOR ORDER FOR LUOYANG, CHINA, METRO KONE has won an order for 71 escalators for the first phase of Metro Line 2 in Luoyang, China, the company announced on June 17. Luoyang opened its subway system in March, placing Line 1 into service. The new, 18-km-long Luoyang Metro Line 2 will cover a north-south route serving 15 stops and connecting the city’s two major existing transportation hubs: the Luoyang Railway Station and Luoyang Longmen High-Speed Railway Station. Metro Line 2 will also serve several other busy centers in the city, including the National Peony Garden, sports centers and museums. Luoyang, known as one of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China, is located in the country’s central Henan province. KONE will provide six stations with 71 TransitMaster™ escalators. In addition, the contract includes two years of standard maintenance. The Metro Line 2

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com OTIS’ MARKS RECEIVES PRESTIGIOUS CED LEADERSHIP AWARD Judy Marks, president and CEO of Otis, joins five leaders who include Moderna Chairman and co-founder Noubar Afeyan and CVS Health President and CEO Karen S. Lynch in receiving Committee for Economic Development (CED) 2021 Distinguished Leadership Awards. Headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, CED is a nonprofit public-policy center. Award winners were selected based on corporate citizenship and business stewardship, and are to be recognized during a gala event in NYC in October. In the past year under Marks' leadership, Otis launched its Commitment to Change social-justice initiative, joined the Paradigm for Parity Coalition, started its Made to Move Communities STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education program, and stepped up donations of personal protective equipment, service and funds in light of the

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com EW 2021 PHOTO CONTEST: HIT US WITH YOUR BEST SHOT If you’ve ever wanted to show off your artistic side, your chance has arrived with the ELEVATOR WORLD 2021 Photo Contest, with its ninth-annual version now open for submissions. Are you a vertical-transportation expert? Froilan Robas used his knowledge last year to win with an elevator photo. Know where to find a great machine or component? Mohammed Muhsin grabbed a first-place award. Got an eye for an awesome skyline or tall building? Greg Riegler does, and proved it with his photo of Taipei 101. The complete roundup of 10 categories is Elevators (Commercial), Elevators (Private Residence), Escalators & Moving Walks, Historical & Legacy Equipment, Machines & Components, City Skylines & Tall Buildings, Who Reads EW?, Industry Art/Illustrations, Hoistways and a new category, Projects in Action, which allows you to showcase your cons

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com LONDON’S CANARY WHARF BECOMING MORE RESIDENTIAL As Canary Wharf visionary Sir George Iacobescu has stepped down and handed the reins to new boss Shobi Khan, it appears that the vision for the Isle of Dogs will be more residential than it has been in the past, Building reported on June 11. This London financial center has a reputation as a place people commute to, work long hours in and then escape from. The streets of the glass and steel district are noticeably quieter on weekends. According to the source, Khan seems to be spreading the message that, to continue to thrive, the 97-acre estate, with its 16.5 million ft2 of office and retail space, needs to provide homes and communities in addition to places in which to work, eat and drink. The move toward residential is already becoming more visible, most notably with Landmark Pinnacle, which, at 239 m, is Europe’s largest residenti

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com MERDEKA 118 BECOMES TALLEST BUILDING IN MALAYSIA Permodalan Nasional Bhd’s (PNB) Merdeka 118 tower has safely topped out with the completion of the final roof slab after reaching its peak at level 118, making it the tallest building in Malaysia, The Edge Markets reported on June 10. PNB said the tower will reach its full height of at least 644 m. Merdeka 118 is set to be the tallest building in Southeast Asia and will be the second-tallest building in the world. Among the tower's outstanding features is "The View at 118" observation deck, which will be the highest in Southeast Asia. It will also have the first and only Park Hyatt hotel in Malaysia, occupying the top 17 floors of the tower. KONE is supplying around 87 elevators and escalators for the project. The tower is currently 81% complete and is set for completion in 2022. Image credit: rendering by Fender Katsalidis via AE

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com TKE CANADA OPENS TORONTO SOUTH BRANCH TK Elevator (TKE) Canada has opened a new branch in Toronto South, the company announced in June. The branch, which will provide a range of vertical-transportation (VT) services, will represent the company’s 29th location in Canada. Located in Toronto’s Scarborough neighborhood, the branch includes more than 90 employees. The office is situated near the company’s International Technical Services Centre, a provider of third-party technical support for TKE’s repair teams. Leading the new branch is District Manager Rob Wagner, whose 35-years-plus of industry experience includes roles as VT technician, manager and consultant. He also previously served as president of two independently owned elevator companies. Image credit: TKE To read the full transcript of today's podcast, visit: elevatorworld.com/news Subscribe to the Podcast: iTunes │ Googl

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com URBAN ELEVATOR SERVICE OPENS LOS ANGELES OFFICE Urban Elevator Service, LLC, a privately owned, union elevator contracting firm headquartered in Cicero, Illinois, recently opened an office in Los Angeles. Initially focusing efforts on Southern California, the new office is part of Urban Elevator's expansion into the California market through subsidiary Urban Elevator Service CA. The new office is being led by Dan McVey and Pete Kasper, elevator-industry veterans with more than 50 years' combined industry experience. Welcoming McVey and Kasper to the team, Urban Elevator CEO René Hertsberg says his company is "excited about the opportunity to bring our brand of world-class service to California." Image credit: by David Mark for Pixabay To read the full transcript of today's podcast, visit: elevatorworld.com/news Subscribe to the Podcast: iTunes │ Google Play | SoundCloud │ Sti

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com CANTON, MASSACHUSETTS-BASED 3PHASE ELEVATOR ACQUIRES BERKSHIRE PARTNERS 3Phase Elevator has entered into an agreement with Boston-based Berkshire Partners to acquire the company from investor Fort Point Capital, Business Wire reported in June. The investment will allow 3Phase Elevator to grow throughout the United States, as it has with six previous acquisitions of independent elevator and escalator services providers, four of which occurred in the last 12 months. “We are thrilled to partner with the Berkshire team,” said Mike Strachan, CEO of 3Phase. “This investment comes at an important time in 3Phase’s growth, and we expect that Berkshire’s digital and go-to-market capabilities will help us further strengthen the service we provide our existing customers, and also attract new customers.” To read the full transcript of today's podcast, visit: elevatorworld.com/news Subscrib

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com HYUNDAI ELEVATOR BUOYED BY KOREAN GOVERNMENT POLICIES New housing starts and elevator installations in Korea should continue to grow in response to government policies aimed at expanding housing supply, and accordingly, Hyundai Elevator is set to enjoy profitability improvement, considering signs of earnings recovery at its subsidiaries (including its tourism, leisure, and finance businesses), BusinessKorea reported on June 3. Government policy initiatives should ensure that housing construction and elevator installation volume continue rising going forward — both the ruling party and the main opposition party have made proposals aimed at expanding housing supply in metropolitan areas. Over the long term, rising housing supply should lead to trickle-down effects in the form of higher demand for elevators. Of note, domestic housing construction starts rose 15.6% year-over-year (YOY

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com ELEVATOR INDUSTRY FOURTH COVID-19 SURVEY RESULTS ANALYSIS Elevator World, Inc., the German elevator association VFA Interlift e.V. and fair organizer AFAG, in association with Credit Suisse, recently shared results of their fourth survey of elevator industry representatives on current industry status and future business outlook during the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey received nearly 400 responses, compared with 600 in the third iteration (ELENET 875), 572 in the second (ELENET 861) and 550 in the first. Credit Suisse Managing Director and Head of European Capital Goods Equity Research André Kukhnin assisted with preparation of a chart analysis, including breakdowns by country, of the results, including responses on the risk of rising raw materials costs to businesses in 2021. Image credit: by Miroslava Chrienova for Pixabay To read the full transcript of today's podcast, visi

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com KONE ACQUIRES DETROIT ELEVATOR CO. KONE announced on June 1 that it has acquired the service and repair business of Detroit Elevator Co. in Ferndale, Michigan, including its operations throughout the greater Detroit area and stretching north and west to Flint and Grand Rapids. Detroit Elevator, founded in 1914, built its business on performing service, new installation, modernization and repair work. KONE said the acquisition strengthens its local operations and brings additional talent and experience to KONE's Detroit and Grand Rapids teams. To read the full transcript of today's podcast, visit: elevatorworld.com/news Subscribe to the Podcast: iTunes │ Google Play | SoundCloud │ Stitcher │ TuneIn

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com CUOMO ANNOUNCES EAST SIDE ACCESS CONSTRUCTION MILESTONE On May 27, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced completion of civil construction on the NYC Metropolitan Transportation Authority's (MTA) East Side Access megaproject. Outfitted with 17 high-rise Schindler escalators, including the longest in the MTA system at 182 ft, the project connects the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) to a new, 350,000-ft2 passenger terminal under Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan. Conceived in the 1960s, the East Side Access project includes the largest new train terminal to be built in the U.S. since the 1950s and represents the first expansion of the LIRR in more than a century. As part of the announcement, Cuomo and MTA Construction and Development President Janno Lieber led a tour of the project during which Lieber observed that, despite challenges, the MTA stuck to its commitment to complete the project by

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com NAEC HOLDS TOWN HALL ON 2019 CODE UPDATE & INTERPRETATIONS The National Association of Elevator Contracts (NAEC) hosted a virtual town hall event on May 25 to discuss the 2019 code update and AHJ interpretations. The focus of the event was how local authorities are responding to the changes that came with the 2019 Code Update and what industry professionals need to know about the local interpretations of the update. Panelists included Carl Burch from Vantage, Chris Strawn from Elevator Safety and Technical Services and Don Holloway and Dave Mann from Kings III Emergency Communications. Burch gave an overview of the updates to the code, the committees within American Society of Mechanical Engineers and the process for receiving an interpretation or suggesting an update. Holloway, Mann and Strawn went into specifics on a few of the most impactful 2019 updates. Image credit: courte

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com TEI GROUP VT SYSTEM FOR NEARLY COMPLETE NYC CONDO TOWER TEI Group shared details with ELEVATOR WORLD about the vertical-transportation (VT) system serving the nearly complete The Cortland, a 26-story condominium building at 555 West 22nd Street in West Chelsea, Manhattan. Designed by Robert A.M. Stern Architects with SLCE as the architect of record and developed by Related Cos., the 141-unit property has six traction elevators. There are four 2500-lb passenger and two 3500-lb service elevators. All travel at up to 700 ft/min. With VDA serving as consultant, the job also includes one hydraulic 8000-lb automobile lift traveling at up to 100 ft/min. The traction elevators are powered by MCE iControllers and Torin machines, while the hydraulic unit utilizes a package from Mongrain Vertical Transport. TEI said it has worked on many projects with SLCE and VDA, and observed, "Related Man

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com MASPERO ELEVATORI WINS VT CONTRACT FOR PALAIS DES NATIONS Maspero Elevatori has been awarded a more-than-EUR2.8-million (US$3.4-million) contract for the vertical-transportation (VT) portion of renovation of the historic Palais des Nations, the United Nations (UN) European headquarters (HQ) in Geneva, Switzerland. VT work is scheduled to start in October. The first step will be replacing doors and gears and installing new-generation electrical panels to maximize safety and energy efficiency on 25 elevators. The first modernized lifts are due to be complete in the first quarter of 2022. Maspero is also designing 11 new lifts, with construction set to start in 2022 and installation by the end of 2023. All elevators will be connected to a monitoring system that sends data to a control room, allowing supervision, monitoring and management of access and movement to ensure safety and se

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com VANCOUVER HOUSE LANDS TOP CTBUH AWARD AND MORE Vancouver House, a 49-story residential tower in Vancouver, Canada, boasting TKE elevators that tie those at Calgary's Telus Sky for fastest in western Canada at 1,600 ft/min, received the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) Best Tall Building Worldwide Award at the CTBUH 2021 Tall + Urban Innovation Conference held virtually on May 18-20. GUNN Consultants consulted on the vertical-transportation system, which includes 17 passenger and two freight elevators, for client Westbank Corp. Dialog designed custom cab interiors for the project, which includes two dedicated elevators for bicyclists on Granville Bridge. Bjarke Ingels Group is behind the innovative design that forms a triangle at the base and gradually transitions to a rectangle as it ascends. The skyscraper sits on a narrow, triangular site where Granville Bridg

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com CORBO NAMED FIRST U.S.-BASED PRESIDENT OF MEUS Mike Corbo has been promoted from chief operating officer (COO) to president and CEO of Mitsubishi Electric U.S. Inc. (MEUS) becoming the first U.S.-based leader of the Cypress, California-headquartered company, MEUS announced on May 20. Masahiro (Max) Oya takes on a newly created role as chairperson of MEUS, overseeing holdings throughout the Americas. He remains Mitsubishi Corp.'s chief representative for the Americas. Corbo began his MEUS career in 1986 in the Elevator & Escalator division. He was promoted to executive vice president and COO in 2018, overseeing six divisions, 1,600 employees and 38 locations throughout North America. In his new role, he is charged with building on the leadership of all MEUS business units and overseeing the Americas corporate office, which provides strategic and operational services to Mitsubishi E